Wear adapter for drill pipes



March 9, 1954 Filed July 30, 1951 Jackson 6". Hink/e IN V EN TOR.

Patented Mar. 9, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlC This invention relatesto new and useful improvements in drill pipe used in the drilling of,oil and gas wells. invention is to eliminate a substantial portion ofthe wear on the drill pipe, this being accomplished by the provision ofadapters which are installed in the drill pipe and which are relativelygreater in diameter than th pipe itself.

, so that the adapters themselves absorb wear and the .pipe does notsustain weakening.

In various sections of the United States a large number of drill collarsare utilized to add moreexcessive wear on theplpe by abrasion. Fur--thermore, the wobbling and lashing motion of the drill pipe tends toaffect the straightness of the hole being drilled. Th instant inventiontends to stiffen the pipe by reducing the distance between the tooljoints, as well as reducing the distance between the walls of the holeand the outside surface of the drilling string, whereby weight. isforced in a more straight downward thrust and side thrust isconsiderably reduced.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention resides mainlyin the construction and arrangement of parts as shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a drill pipe with tool joints andwear adapters, installed in a well. the latter being shown in section;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the assembled wear adapter;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the assembled adapter;

Figure 4 is an elevational view of a spring used in the adapter; and,

The principal object of the Figure 5 is an elevational view of thespring 2 whipped or lashed against the inner wall of the well hole I6.which causes considerable wear on the drill pipe so that after a periodof time the weakened drill pipe must be discarded.

The instant invention eliminates a considerable amount of this wear byproviding wear adapters It at longitudinally spaced points on the drillpipe, so that the adapters rather than the pipe rub against the wall ofthe hole I6.

Each of the adapters i8 comprises a tubular sleeve consisting of a pairof half sections 20, 22 which have scalloped adjacent edges 24. When thesleeve sections are applied to the pipe, a space exists between theedges 24, which space is filled with welding material 26 to secure thetwo half sections together. The essence of novelty of this inventionresides in the means for securing the adapter 18 to the drill pipe [0,this involving the provision of a helical spring 28, formed from flatstock and provided on its irmer surface with gripping teeth 30. Theinside diameter of the spring is somewhat smaller than the outsidediameter of the drill pipe, so that when the spring is applied to thepipe, it is frictionally and firmly sustained thereon. A thin gasket offiber material 32 is wound between the coils of the spring 28 around thedrill pipe III, which tends to absorb shock. The half sections 20, 22,provided inside thereof with complemental helical grooves 34 to receivethe spring, are then installed in position on the pipe and weldedtogether as already explained.

It will be noted that the adapters are so constructed that theinstallation or removal thereof. at the end of their useful life. is anextremely simple operation, which may be made on the site of operationso that no time is lost in moving the drill pipe and adapters to amachine shop for repair.

It is to be also noted that although prior to this invention other meanshave been tried in which the saving of wear on the drill pipe was theobject, such means generally failed for the reason that fastening theadapter by welding to the pipe was an impractical necessity.Comparatively, in the instant invention welding material does not comein'contact with the drill pipe.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferredembodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changesin the details of construction. combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope Pipe.rotating motion causes the drill pipe to be of the invention as claimed.

3 Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. The combination of a drill pipe and a wear adapter comprising aresilient helical spring po sitioned on and frictionally engaging saidpipe, a helical gasket provided on the pipe between the convolutions ofsaid spring, and a wear sleeve comprising a pair of complementalsections embracing the pipe and the spring, said sections havingcomplemental helical spring receiving grooves therein, and means rigidlysecuring said sections together.

2. A wear adapter for drill pipe comprising a sleeve consisting of apair of complemental sections adapted to be rigidly secured togetherprovided therein with a helical groove, and a resilient helical drillpipe enga l member positioned in said groove, and drill pipe grippingteeth on the inner surface of said member.

3. A wear adapter for drill pipes comprising a sleeve consisting of apair of complemental sections, each of said sections having alignedhelical grooves, and a resilient helical drill pipe engaging member ofless inner diameter when unflexed than the outer diameter of the drillpipe with which it is adapted to be used, said member being received insaid grooves.

4. A wear adapter for drill pipes comprising a sleeve consisting of apair of complemental sections, each of said sections having alignedhelical grooves, and a resilient helical drill pipe engaging member ofless inner diameter when unfiexed than the outer diameter of the drillpipe with which it is adapted to be used, said member being received insaid grooves, said member being provided with drill pipe gripping teethon the inner surface thereof to provide frictional means for securingsaid wear adapter to a drill pipe.

5. A wear adapter for drill pipes comprising a sleeve consisting of apair of complemental sections, each of said sections having alignedhelical grooves, and a resilient helical drill pipe engaging member ofless inner diameter when unflexed than the .outer diameter of the drillpipe with which it is adapted to be used, said member being received insaid grooves, said member being provided with drill Dive r ppin teeth onthe inner surface thereof to provide frictional means for securing saidwear adapter to a drill pipe, each of said sections being provided withscalloped adjacent edges, and weld material between said edges securingsaid sections together.

JACKSON G. HINKLE.

References Cited in the filed this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,229,417 Daft June 12, 1917 1,616,666 Nebergall Feb. 8, 19371,764,769 -Woods June 17, 1930 1,889,060 Dennie Nov. 39, 1933 1,891,615Bostic Dec. 20, 1932 2,295,873 Stone Sept. 15, 1943

